Summary

Nationwide, there has been a marked increase in the number of deaths from all causes since Week 8 (February 19–25, 2018) (Figure 1). The number of deaths across all age groups and among people aged 65 and older reached, in Week 10 (March 5–11), the level of the first winter mortality peak observed in Week 1 (January 1–7). At the regional level, the increase in mortality (particularly in weeks 9 and 10) is observed in nearly all regions, and more specifically in Grand-Est, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Hauts-de-France, Normandy, Brittany, and Occitanie.

These initial observations should be interpreted with caution, as the data are not yet consolidated due to the usual delays in reporting.

Over the period from December 4, 2017, to February 25, 2018 (i.e., weeks 49–2017 to 08–2018, the period for which data are consolidated), an excess mortality rate of 7.3% across all age groups is estimated, representing approximately 10,500 additional deaths (estimate extrapolated to the whole of France). When analyzed by age group, the excess is of the same order of magnitude (+9.5%) among those aged 15–64 and those aged 65 and older. Over this period, the regions most affected by this excess mortality across all age groups are Occitanie (+13%), Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (+11%), Corsica (+16%), and Île-de-France (+10%).

At the European level, among the countries participating in the EuroMomo network (www.euromomo.eu), a resurgence in mortality was also observed in mid-February across all age groups and primarily among those aged 65 and older. Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, as well as Spain and Portugal—which had already experienced an initial peak in mortality in early January—recorded excess deaths.

According to data from electronic death certificates, 1,888 deaths were recorded during week 11 (March 12–18).